Whistle Against the Wind
by Kaze-no-Tenshi89
Summary: Suggestions of marriage have Nausicaä on edge. While her betrothed prince seems perfect, Asbel and Lord Yupa's return makes her question his kindness. A past betrothal is brought into the light as as her own destiny seems to be slipping away.
1. A Royal Dilemma

Hello everyone! After noticing the lack of Nausicaä fanfiction on the website, I felt I had no choice but to give my favorite movie some love. This fic takes place after the events of the movie, not the manga.

_About the title-_

Whistle against the wind: If you whistle against the wind, the sound will be lost and no one can hear you. Sometimes we whistle, that is, we try to voice our own opinions, but they are drowned out by the wind, the voices and opinions of others, and no one can hear us. As a princess, Nausicaä's own opinion of how her life should be run is often drowned out by the opinion of others and the customs and traditions of her people.

Disclaimer: I do not own Nauiscaä of the Valley of the Wind. It belongs to the wonderful Hayao Miyazaki and to Studio Ghibli.

--

Whistle Against the Wind

Chapter 1 – A Royal Dilemma

"Princess Nausicaä…" A young woman, clad in a simple brown dress with a large cream-colored apron, knocked cautiously on the door. Inside, the young princess tossed restlessly onto her side, knowing all too well what the young woman wanted.

"Yes, Zela?" Nausicaä tried her best to keep the exhaustion she felt out of her voice. But Zela knew her too well.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Princess, but if you don't get up soon, you'll miss your meeting with the Council of Pejite."

Nausicaä sighed deeply. _"I'm missing extra sleep for that nonsense again?" _She slowly made her way out of bed, wiping the sleep out of her eyes as she walked over to her bedroom window. _"The valley looks so peaceful this early in the morning… I just wish that I could have some of that peacefulness for once…" _Nausicaä quickly brushed her auburn hair, now well past her shoulders, and threw on her blue dress and matching headdress.

It had been a year since the Tolmekians had left the valley and the Pejites came. With their city destroyed, Nausicaä had no choice but to let them live in the valley. Her compassionate heart usually got the best of her, but she knew that she made the right decision in letting them stay in the valley. But 

ever since their prince left with the famous swordsman on an unknown quest, the people of Pejite began to get restless with the young princess.

"_Asbel…"_ Since he left, Nausicaä had nothing but concern and worry for him and Lord Yupa. She had received no word from either of them since their departure. _"I hope you two are okay…"_

--

"But Princess, we _need _a new windmill! There just are not enough for the population of the kingdom!"

Nausicaä looked around at the council before her, sipping their drinks and staring at her, eagerly awaiting her reply, as if it would be different from any other time. "Mayor, I have already told you. The windmill you want cannot go in the forest! After it was burned down a year ago it is trying to come back. Building a new windmill would only hurt the forest even more!"

For months, the Council of Pejite had proposed several plans to build a new windmill to support the now-larger population of the valley with the addition of the people of Pejite. The leader of the council, the former mayor of Pejite who insisted on still being called "Mayor," called meeting after meeting with the Princess in hopes that she would change her mind. While Nausicaä knew that the valley would be in need of a new windmill soon, all the locations she proposed would not do for the council. For some reason, they insisted that one in the forest was the only option, perhaps it was because their settlement in the area ran along it. But Nausicaä simply would not change her mind. Too much damage had already come to that forest. Why should they build another windmill there when it was finally starting to come back to life again?

The Mayor of Pejite sighed in annoyance. "Princess, you must do something! While the people of Pejite are eternally grateful to you for letting us live in the valley, we cannot help but feel that you are somehow neglecting us!"

His words struck Nausicaä like a spear to the heart. "Mayor, how could you, how could your people even _think _such an absurd thing!" She was now on her feet, standing at the end of the long banquet table in the Great Hall. Her eyes were wide with disbelief as she looked across her group of guests.

"With all do respect, Princess, the Council and I have been fearing the decision you made. We know you have made this decision before, but we believed that perhaps after some persistence you would come to your senses 

and agree with us. But now…" the Mayor hesitated a bit, almost a bit fearful of what he was about to say, "we understand what must be done."

"_Oh my god, they're going to kill me!"_ Nausicaä looked around frantically for a weapon to defend herself with in case they attacked. But to her surprise, her ears met with a sound she wasn't quite expecting: laughter. "Excuse me, but what is going on, Mayor…"

"Princess, we are terribly sorry. You just looked as if we were about to kill you!" The Mayor let out the last of his snickering laughs and resumed to a more serious tone. "But as we were saying before, we feel that perhaps you are not quite fit to lead."

"WHAT!" Luckily, Nausicaä was already on her feet. Otherwise, she might have flipped the table over with the force of her shock and surprise at the comment.

"Well, that's not quite what we mean. What we mean is, perhaps it is time you married and became a queen. With a king at your side, we feel that perhaps two opinions on subjects such as these could result in better things for this kingdom, instead of just the opinion of a young princess. And since our own prince has yet to return, we have been under your leadership for quite some time and…"

But Nausicaä had stopped listening after "perhaps it is time you married," as she began to feel a searing-hot blush spread over her cheeks. _"Get married? Do they really think that I have time to be courted while running a kingdom?"_

--

As much as Nausicaä wished to deny it, her real reason for reacting the way she did was because she never really gave much thought to marriage before. Sure, it crept into her mind now and again, but she never thought it would cause so much of a problem with her people if she didn't get married… Had no other kingdom been ruled by a princess? But then there was the issue of providing an heir…

"Oh, stop it! You're finally letting that stupid council get to you!" Nausicaä exclaimed to no one, but caused a certain restless fox-squirrel to shuffle about on her windowsill.

A knock on her bedroom door brought Nausicaä out of her frustrating thoughts.

"Come in." Mito and Obaba entered, which worried Nausicaä immediately. Obaba usually kept to herself these days unless something bad was happening or going to happen. Mito accompanying the blind old woman didn't help either. Obaba was blind but she knew the way around the castle well enough. Only bad things could be said during a visit from these two…

"Princess, we wish to speak with you, if that is alright," Mito added cautiously, aware that the Nausicaä had tensed upon their arrival. She gave a quick, but rather unsure, nod and motioned for them to sit down.

"Mito, I sensed the trouble behind your eyes the moment you walked in this room… and Obaba is with you, nonetheless. Please tell me what troubles you both."

Mito shifted uncomfortably in his chair as the old woman began to speak. "Nausicaä, many years ago your parents confided in me something I believed I would never have to break to you. None of us could have foreseen the unfortunate death of your parents before your eighteenth birthday." Even though she was blind, Obaba could sense the mixture of emotions that instantly swept over the young princess: sadness, regret, guilt.

"Princess," Mito began glumly, "you may not be pleased with what we are about to tell you, but we do feel that this could help with the problem you were facing today with the council, the very problem you have been sitting in your room all morning thinking about."

Nausicaä nervously began pacing around. "Mito, what are you talking about? No issue arose within the council today that could possibly cause me so much strife as to make me sit in my room all morning and worry about it!"

Mito sighed. "Princess, do you honestly believe that after all these years I still do not know you?" Nausicaä gave the man a quizzical look and stopped her nervous pacing. "It is almost noon and the princess that I know is usually tending to the garden or visiting with the townspeople by now."

"_Is it really almost noon? How long have I been up here…?" _Nausicaä shook off the thought. "Please, just tell me what you want to say."

Mito motioned to Obaba, indicating to Nausicaä that she was the one that needed to speak.

"Around the time that you were born, the valley faced threats of invasion from various kingdoms throughout the land. Many wanted this land because 

of its ability to keep the toxic jungle at bay and the abundance of plant and wildlife. Being a peaceful kingdom, with no sort of army to speak of, we had little to defend ourselves with. But when the threats were at their worst, the coastal kingdom of Amras offered to help defend our valley, but at a price. Their youngest son, Prince Cáel, had not been betrothed and the royal family greatly feared disgrace if they could not find a kingdom for their youngest prince. Your parents were very reluctant to simply hand their kingdom over and risk your future happiness, but as the threats grew far worse, they had no choice."

By now, Nausicaä was sitting on her bed, her eyes wide in shock and disbelief. "Why…Why hadn't my parents told me?"

Mito got up from his chair and approached the princess, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "With your parents so ill in their last days, how could they? Your father especially. I'm sure he felt he had more time…"

Nausicaä was a mess of emotions. All this talk of her parents brought out the deep sadness of their loss within her, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel… angry? _"Why am I feeling like this?"_

Obaba stood up from her chair, hunched over, and turned to the door. "Nausicaä, subside the anger you feel against your parents, for even if you deny it, I can sense the confusion and hurt you are feeling. After you were betrothed, the valley never saw these threats surface again and our two kingdoms have been on peaceful terms. Your marriage to Prince Cáel will not be in vain. We have already arranged for him to come visit you, as it is not long until your eighteenth birthday." Obaba opened the door and began to exit the room, causing Mito to jump from his previous position to help the blind old lady.

"Obaba, slow down! Let me escort you back to your quarters!" As Mito went to close the door, he took one last look at Nausicaä, seeing the pain and confusion that was etched on her delicate, young face. "Princess, do not let this worry you. I promise that everything will work out and you will find happiness once again."

Nausicaä simple nodded her head, eyes fixed on the floor, as Mito closed the door.

"_How am I supposed to feel right now? One minute I'm told that I need to marry in order to, well, basically be taken seriously. The next minute I'm being told I've been betrothed to someone my whole life and he's coming to visit any day now! I always imagined falling in love, marrying the prince of _

_my dreams, living happily ever after… Isn't that what every princess wants? But then again, I should know that reality isn't that kind."_

Nausicaä wanted to scream at the top of her lungs in frustration; frustration for the trapped feeling that now encompassed every aspect of her life. She knew that being the leader of her people would never be easy. She just thought that perhaps she would have been able to decide who would help her along the way.

--

It was late in the afternoon and, after a day of neglecting her duties, she took a walk to the valley graveyard, with Teto latched tightly onto her shoulder. She made her way to the back of the cemetery, to where she knew the royal family's graves were. Without hesitation, she wound her way through the maze of tombstones, finally stopping at a rather large one. The royal family's seal was etched into the stone, just above her parents' names.

"Hello mother, father…" Nausicaä slowly knelt down before the gravestone, placing a large handful of flowers in front of the large stone. "Mito and Obaba finally told me about Prince Cáel today. Even though I may have been upset earlier, I just want to let you know that I know that you did what you had to. The people of this valley will always come first. I will do my best to be a great leader of this valley as you both were…" Nausicaä's thoughts suddenly switched to a sillier note, causing a slight laugh to escape her lips. "Oh my, I've been so busy with everything that I've even forgotten that my birthday is soon! I don't think it even registered when Mito and Obaba were talking to me earlier! How silly of me… Well, I should head back to the castle. I'm sure they are expecting me." Nausicaä slowly stood up from where she knelt and brushed off her dress. As she turned to leave, she spotted someone walking up the path to the graveyard, someone she had never seen before. As he came closer, she saw that he realized she was standing there, and he broke into a much faster walking pace.

"Could you perhaps be Princess Nausicaä?" The young man was now only about 15 feet from her and Nausicaä immediately felt a blush burning her cheeks. The young man was clothed in rather elegant attire; his red tunic was lined with gold trim; a white cape was draped over his shoulders, held in place by a large gold clasp. His skin was pale and his light brown hair seemed a bit tousled from his walk.

"Y-yes, I'm Princess Nausicaä, but Nausicaä is just fine."

"Well, you are certainly fairer than I could have ever imagined!" Nausicaä's blush now felt as if her cheeks were on fire. "I received an invitation from your castle and felt that I should waste no time in coming to meet you!"

Nausicaä was a bit confused. She didn't remember sending any invitations to royal diplomats lately…

The young man must have noticed the confused look on her face and laughed slightly. "Oh, my fair princess, I'm afraid I forgot to introduce myself!" That was it. Her cheeks were definitely bursting into flames. "My name is Prince Cáel of the kingdom of Amras. I am so glad to have finally met my future queen." Prince Cáel took one of Nausicaä's hands and gently kissed it.

"_So this is the man I'm supposed to marry?" _Nausicaä smiled slightly to herself. _"Maybe this won't be so bad after all…"_

_--_

Let me know what you think! I'd appreciate any kind of review to let me know if you think this story is interesting or worth reading.

Stay tuned, for there is much, much more. Let's just say that Asbel and Lord Yupa's return home makes everything more interesting.

-brigette (aka: Kaza-no-Tenshi89)


	2. The Ceremony

Thank you for the reviews! Sorry if it seems like it took me forever to update. I got a little busy. But don't worry! Im still continuing this story :D I hope the story becomes more interesting if it's felt a little boring so far.

Also, today is my birthday! Sweet Nineteen! lol

Disclaimer: I do not own Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. It belongs to the wonderful Hayao Miyazaki and to Studio Ghibli.

--

Whistle Against the Wind

Chapter 2 – The Ceremony

The sun was slowly setting over the valley, causing the grass to shimmer a beautiful shade of gold. A gentle breeze danced across the trees as the windmills atop the two large towers of the castle slowly turned. Inside the castle, a nervous, yet unusually excited, princess bustled through the many halls and staircases, eager to show her royal guest his future home.

"And this door leads out into the garden." Nausicaä unlatched the large wooden door and slowly opened it. She gestured for her guest to proceed through and he did so with a gentle bow.

"Princess! This garden…" Prince Cáel trailed off. In front of him, a stone pathway wound its way around the large garden, disappearing and reappearing as it pleased. Rose bush after rose bush lined the pathway, surrounded by many other brightly colored flowers and plants. As the sun fell deeper, a few oak trees cast their elongated shadows over the garden. "This is… simply wonderful!" Prince Cáel sat down on a stone bench that sat beneath two small, pink-leaved trees.

Nausicaä blushed as she sat down next to the prince. "This garden was my mother's pride and joy. After she died, I decided to tend to it myself."

As Nausicaä continued to sit next to this young man, a strange feeling washed over her. She had only just met him… what made her feel like this? What was it… fear? No… she couldn't put her finger on it… She just felt so… small when she was near him. What was it about him that made her feel so strange?

Nausicaä had been thinking too much before she realized that a pair of bright blue eyes were staring back at her.

--

"Lord Yupa! I can see the castle!" A young man with bushy brown hair excitedly raced on his horseclaw around the cliff's edge, his infamous hat bouncing on his head.

"Woah, Asbel, slow down! I'm sure Kui would like to rest a bit before you go racing down to the valley." Lord Yupa caught up with Asbel, who stopped himself from rushing off, noticing his horseclaw seemed about to pass out. "Let's walk these two on down to the river. We've been gone for almost a year, Asbel. I'm sure the valley can await our return for another hour or so." With that, Lord Yupa gave a small laugh, causing Asbel to sigh in agreement.

As the two walked their horseclaws down the cliffside, the castle came into better view. Asbel could even see the many windows that covered the sides of the castle. He knew Nausicaä must be inside one of those many windows…

"Asbel?"

Asbel jumped slightly. "…What?"

"You wouldn't want to deprive a poor, travel-worn man and his horseclaws a drink of fresh water, now would you?"

Asbel shook off the thoughts he was having. "Sorry about that…" Lord Yupa simply smiled that it was alright and the two continued their short journey into the valley.

--

"Prince Cáel, it is about time for dinner." Nausicaä stood up from the bench the two had occupied in the garden as they chatted about anything from politics to their favorite color. "I would be happy to invite you into the banquet hall this evening as a proper welcoming ceremony."

"Why, Princess Nausicaä, that is much too kind of you. A ceremony is really not necessary." Prince Cáel also stood up from the bench. Nausicaä couldn't help but notice he was much taller than her. Was that why she had felt that way? Because of his stature? No… it was something else… but what was it…?

"Nausicaä?"

"Oh, um, yes?"

"Are you alright, you seemed to have something else weighing greatly on your mind."

"Oh, no, no. All is well." Nausicaä held out her arm. "Shall we go down to the banquet hall?" Prince Cáel took her arm in his.

"Of course."

As the pair wound their way through the many staircases and passageways, Nausicaä couldn't help the feeling that continued to wash over her, especially when they had such close contact. She noticed he was staring ahead, a small smile plastered on his face. Why did she feel so unsettled with him, yet so flattered by him at the same time? He seemed to be the perfect prince. He was nice, caring, handsome, and someone she could talk to.

Then why was she telling herself that there must be more to this young prince than what he let on…

--

Lord Yupa and Asbel had finally made their way out of the village after many, many questions from villagers on how they were, where they had gone, and what they had been doing. So many had stopped to say how glad they were to have the two of them back. Several members from the Council of Pejite had been in the village then, too, as well as Asbel's mother. After several more rounds of kisses, hugs, questions, and salutations, Asbel and Lord Yupa finally made it to the bridge of the castle, both expecting a young princess with auburn hair to come bursting through the castle's gates to greet them.

But no one came. Not even a royal attendant came to escort the two men into the castle.

"Where is everybody?" Asbel rode Kui up to the main gate and noticed a single guard sitting by the gate, apparently asleep. "Excuse me?" No answer. "Excuse me!" Still no answer. "EXCUSE ME!"

"Wh-wha?" The guard jumped up from his nap, grabbing his gun instinctively. "Who is it?" The guard squinted his tired eyes at the two men. As he squinted his eyes, the image of the man that awoke him came clear into focus, causing his eyes to almost shoot out of his head in shock. "Prince Asbel?" He violently turned his head to the other man. "Lord Yupa? You've returned!" The guard seemed lost as to what he should do. He began pacing and muttering to himself as Asbel and Lord Yupa simply looked at the guard in amusement.

But Asbel felt a little confused as to why the guard was just walking around in circles. "Can't you just tell the princess that we've returned? I'm sure she would like to talk to us."

"Oh, why, of course!" The guard turned to enter the castle but stopped quickly in his tracks. "Ah, I almost forgot. I cannot leave my post at the 

moment, as we are on short supply of guards. Many of the senior guards have been invited to the celebration in the banquet hall this evening."

"Celebration?" Lord Yupa spoke this time. "A celebration for what?"

"You mean you haven't heard?" The guard sounded astonished that this was news to them.

The two men simply stared at the man in disbelief.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" The guard laughed at his own stupidity. "Of course you haven't heard, you've been away! Well, the princess is throwing a special welcoming ceremony in the banquet hall this evening."

"A welcoming for who?" Asbel added cautiously.

"Why, for her betrothed prince!" The guard probably said more after that, but Asbel had stopped listening. His entire body seemed to have frozen and rooted itself in the very stone he stood upon.

--

The banquet hall was bustling with people. Guards, royal attendants, even servants had been invited. Nausicaä walked Prince Cáel around the hall, introducing him to almost everyone they came across. Nausicaä had purposely not invited any of the villagers to the event, as she wanted to present the prince to the people of the valley in a different manner.

When the meal began, Nausicaä seated herself at the end of the center table and Prince Cáel seated himself at the other end. Mito and Obaba joined Nausicaä, both eager to talk to the princess.

"Princess," Mito began in a casual tone, "the prince seems like a fine young man. I seem to have grown a liking to him and I hope you have as well." Nausicaä stared down the table at the young prince, who continued to chat away with the guards that surrounded him. "He seems to be getting along rather well with everyone here. He really seems to be a good person."

Nausicaä sighed. "I know… he's really wonderful, isn't he?"

"Nausicaä, I can sense the trouble in your voice."

"…Obaba?"

"I have felt the concern you have been feeling around you the entire night thus far. Something about the prince worries you, perhaps even frightens you." Nausicaä opened her mouth to speak, but Obaba continued. "We all feel a little strange around people we have just met, especially if we are told 

we are to be with them the rest of our lives. I know you have always had a good sense of telling when things are not as they should be, when they are not quite right. But I believe you should give the man a chance. Your heart is sending you mixed signals and that may be why you are feeling this way."

Nausicaä sat back in her chair, her thoughts going over everything that had happened that day. _"Is my heart really sending me mixed signals? Am I just so overwhelmed from everything that has been going on that I cannot even tell what I am feeling anymore?"_

--

As the guests finished their dinners, the music began to play. Instantly Nausicaä's heart began to race, for she knew she would have to dance with Prince Cáel at some point. It wasn't exactly that it was a bad thing… she just wasn't comfortable with how she felt around him quite yet… especially when they would be so close in proximity.

To knock her out of her thoughts, the one thing she was fearing happened much sooner than she had expected. "Princess Nausicaä, would you care to dance?" Prince Cáel held out his hand and Nausicaä nervously took it. _"You're the princess of the valley! Why are you acting so nervous? You've fought off invaders and proved to be the prophesized one to save the world! How can you be nervous… he's just a young man!"_

Prince Cáel led Nausicaä onto the floor and instantly she felt all eyes upon her. As the two began to slowly step to the music, she was surprised that Prince Cáel hadn't screamed in pain. She was blushing so hard, she could feel it searing even in her palms. Perhaps his tunic kept him from feeling the fire she was sure was shooting out of her hands. But what about the one that held her other hand? She was sure he would have noticed that one…

As Nausicaä continued to drown herself in her thoughts, she didn't notice that the people that had surrounded her only moments before began to make their way to the hall entrance where something was causing a big commotion. When she finally did realize what was going on, she grabbed the equally thoughtful prince instinctively by the hand and made her way over to the gathering.

"Well, we certainly are glad to be back!" came the deep voice of someone from the center of the crowd.

"I wish we had known there would be a celebration. We would have hurried through town quicker!" Another speaker laughed lightly at his own comment.

"I know those voices…" Nausicaä said quietly to herself. Prince Cáel glanced down at the princess, slightly confused.

"Who—" But that was all the prince could say before he felt his grip on Nausicaä loosen and finally disappear as the young princess pushed her way through the crowd.

"Lord Yupa? Asbel?"

The two men glanced over to see the blur of a princess rushing toward them. Not even a second later, Lord Yupa felt the forceful grip of the young princess in a tight embrace. "Lord Yupa! I can't believe you are back! You have so much to tell me!"

"Nausicaä! It's so good to see you again." Lord Yupa returned the hug.

Nausicaä then turned to Asbel and hugged him in a tight embrace as well. "I want you to tell me everything that happened on your journey!"

"Princess Nausicaä?" Nausicaä quickly pulled herself out of the hug she had been in with the Prince of Pejite and tried to straighten herself out.

"Oh, Prince Cáel. I have not yet introduced you." Nausicaä noticed the unsettling look that had spread across Prince Cáel's face, but tried to ignore it. "This is Asbel, the Prince of Pejite, and a good friend of mine." Nausicaä then turned to Lord Yupa. "And this is Lord Yupa, a friend of my family for many years. Asbel, Lord Yupa, this is Prince Cáel, the Prince of Amras and my betrothed husband."

Asbel had tried to prepare himself from the very moment he learned about Nausicaä's betrothed prince. But somehow, he wasn't handling it very well.

Prince Cáel held out his hand and both Asbel and Lord Yupa shook it with respect. Nausicaä could sense the tension that hung in the air between Asbel and Prince Cáel and immediately tried to focus everyone's attention on something else.

"Well, the night is still young! There is still much more dancing to be done this evening, especially since we can also celebrate the safe return of Prince Asbel and Lord Yupa!" Immediately the crowd began to disperse and the music began to play once again. Nausicaä turned to Prince Cáel, who stood next to her, rigid. "Prince Cáel, if you don't mind, I would very much like to speak with Prince Asbel and—"

"Can it not wait until tomorrow?"

Nausicaä was a little taken back by his sudden change in mood. He had been so calm, so happy earlier. Why had the arrival of these two changed all of that?

Asbel quickly stepped in, sensing the trouble Nausicaä seemed to be getting herself into. "Princess, if it is alright with you, I would like to get some rest anyway." Asbel did his best to sound formal around a man he couldn't help but feel unsettled by. "I would hate to remove you from this grand party. Perhaps we can talk in the morning." Nausicaä seemed a little confused as to why Asbel was acting so different all of a sudden as well. Asbel bowed to the young princess and took his leave, but not without a searing glance at the Prince of Amras.

As Asbel made his way out of the hall, Nausicaä turned to Prince Cáel. "Is everything alright, Prince Cáel? You seem to have something bothering you after the arrival of my friends, especially Prince Asbel."

Prince Cáel simply answered her with a smile. "Of course not." He once again held out his hand for the princess to take. "Now, shall we finally have that dance?"

It may not have been that big of a smile, but Nausicaä knew what kind of smile that spread itself ever so slightly across the prince's face. However, it was not a caring smile or a loving smile. It was a smile of victory.

--

Sorry for the wait! I hope this chapter wasn't too short and was more interesting.

Reviews are always appreciated! :D

-brigette (aka: Kaze-no-Tenshi89)


	3. Excuses

Sorry for the long wait! I actually started this chapter a while ago but couldn't finish it until now because of college starting and other crazy things! So I apologize for that! Moving on…

Disclaimer: I do not own Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. It belongs to the wonderful Hayao Miyazaki and to Studio Ghibli.

--

Whistle Against the Wind

Chapter 3 – Excuses

As the full moon climbed higher over the cliffs of the valley, Nausicaä tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. So many things had happened that night… and they all seemed to happen so fast. She felt so overwhelmed by Prince Cáel's arrival and Lord Yupa's and Asbel's return.

Where was the strong young woman she knew from not so long ago? Where was the young woman that stood up to the Tolmekians and Kushana, not caring if she died in the stampede of angry Ohmu?

Now, all she felt like was a silly damsel in distress. Here she was, worrying about two boys. Well, young men. One was her very good friend who helped her save her people. The other was… well… who exactly was he, anyway? They had talked about so much in the garden that day, yet why couldn't she remember anything important about him?

And why were Asbel and Prince Cáel already off to a bad start? Prince Cáel seemed like he wanted to have nothing to do with Asbel. When Asbel did leave, Prince Cáel seemed to unsettle Nausicaä's thoughts. His smile… there was something about that smile he gave her. Something deeper… much deeper.

The only thing was, she couldn't quite figure out what it was...

--

Nausicaä sat quietly at the dining hall table the next morning, poking some fruit with her fork and barely even giving the bread a second glance.

"Is something wrong, princess?" Mito carefully asked, noticing she hadn't eaten a single bite. "You've been staring at your food for a while now."

"Yes, I'm sorry, everything's fine… I'm just not really feeling like myself today… I guess…" She had wanted to talk to Asbel and Lord Yupa all night, hoping to hear about where they had gone and the stories and information they had brought back. But of course, things could never go how she wanted them to…

"Good morning, Nausicaä!" Nausicaä instantly perked her head up. Asbel made his way toward the long dining table to greet the princess, but was halted by a voice with similar intent.

"Good morning, Nausicaä!" Asbel spun around to face the voice. Who did this guy think he was, calling her by her first name only? They had only met yesterday!

"Asbel, Prince Cáel. Good morning to you both." Nausicaä stood up to great her guests, gesturing for them to sit down at the table. "Prince Cáel, I hope you slept well. I asked for only the best accommodations for you."

"Why, they were just fine. Thank you for asking." He smiled at Nausicaä, but glanced across the table over to Asbel out of the corner of his eye. Was he showing off? Bragging about something? Asbel couldn't figure out what this guy was up to, but he seemed to always be rather smug when Nausicaä paid more attention to him…

"I asked Mito to show you around the valley today, Prince Cáel. It is a day's trek around the valley and I unfortunately have some business to attend to later this afternoon. I hope that you don't mind." Prince Cáel's smiled seemed to fad a bit, but it was nonetheless still there.

"Of course, princess. That would be just fine."

Nausicaä glanced around the dining hall. Spotting the short, mustached man in the far corner chatting to some servants, Nausicaä sighed. "I'm afraid my voice does not carry very well across large rooms such as this. You can go meet Mito, Prince Cáel. Just tell him I sent you and he will be sure to help you get ready for the trip."

"Thank you, Nausicaä." Prince Cáel stood up from the table and began to walk towards Mito but turned around for a moment. "Should I expect to see you at dinner, princess? I rather enjoy your dining company."

Nausicaä wasn't sure if she should be flattered or insulted by the comment. "Oh, uh, I guess it will all depend on how long it takes for you to see the valley."

Prince Cáel nodded in understanding and turned around once more to proceed to where Mito was.

Nausicaä turned back around to the table and let out a deep sigh. "I'm glad that's taken care of," she said to no one in particular.

"Nausicaä?" Asbel was a bit confused by her comment.

"Wha… oh! I'm sorry, Asbel. I just have so many things on my mind lately." Nausicaä rested her chin in the palm of her hand, a very un-princess-like thing to do, but she really didn't care at this point. "I felt like if I spent the whole day with that man again I would go insane!" Now Asbel was _really _confused. She seemed so mystified by Prince Cáel the night before, so why did she all of a sudden feel this way?

"I'm sorry, Nausicaä, I don't think I quite understand…"

"Asbel, do you feel like there is something… strange about him?" Asbel was a bit taken back by the sudden question, but had to admit to himself, that there was something about him he didn't like.

"Well, I guess you could say there might be something—"

"Nevermind, Asbel. I'm being a little paranoid, I guess." Nausicaä sat up straight in her chair, folding her arms in her lap. "Actually, one of the reasons I wanted Mito to take Prince Cáel around the valley today was so that I could finally hear about your adventures! Ever since you came back last night, I've been so eager to know what happened to you and Lord Yupa!"

For some reason, Asbel couldn't help but blush. "Oh, yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that, too. I had wanted to talk to you last night but you seemed rather busy with Prince Cáel and everything so I didn't—"

Asbel was cut off by the sound of the great hall doors being burst open. A group of men and one woman rushed into the hall, headed straight for Nausicaä and Asbel.

"Prince Asbel! We got word this morning that you returned last night!" The former Mayor of Pejite reached Asbel in no time and was shaking the prince's hand vigorously. The other men in the group were all cheering and patting Asbel on the back, glad that he made it back to the valley in one piece.

But soon, all the men were being pushed out of the way by the woman, and she immediately through her arms around Asbel, crying hysterically. "Oh, Asbel! I'm so happy you are alive! After what happened to your sister… oh I just couldn't bear to think about what could happen to you out there in that toxic jungle!"

Asbel, unable to breathe from the amount of force his mother was hugging him with, tried to loosen her embrace. "Mother, I'm fine! See? I'm alright! You can stop squeezing me now!" Asbel's mother quickly let go of her son, yet wasn't the slight bit embarrassed for her motherly actions.

"Asbel, you know that I and the people of Pejite are overjoyed that you returned to the valley," the Mayor began, "and we have so many things to discuss and share with you. There are many things of urgent importance that cannot wait. You must come with us right away."

Asbel glanced around to find Nausicaä, giving her a wide-eyed look. "But I was supposed to accompany Nausicaä today to—"

"Oh, the princess can handle whatever it is by herself." Nausicaä returned Asbel's look of frustration and disappointment, ultimately shrugging her shoulders in defeat.

"We can talk tomorrow then?" Nausicaä said as loud as she could, hoping to reach Asbel as he was quickly pulled across the floor of the great hall.

"Of course!" Asbel yelled back.

In a matter of minutes, Nausicaä went from being torn between two young men to having absolutely no one around her at all.

--

"Now, you see that forest up ahead?" Mito said as he pointed in the direction he spoke of.

"What, you mean that massive clump of dead trees?" Prince Cáel said as he squinted to see what Mito pointed at.

"Clump of dead trees?" Mito gasped at the prince's brash statement. "Your highness, forgive me for what I am about to say, but that forest is more than a clump of dead trees! It was once a great forest where many of us villagers spent our childhoods!" Mito and the prince stopped at the edge of the former forest. "Unfortunately, when the Tolmekians came, the forest became infested with spores and many of the trees had to be burnt down." Mito stared at the ground, remember that horrible time. "The princess, of course, was the most upset of any of us."

"The princess?" Prince Cáel was suddenly more interested in the story.

"Ah, but it is getting late in the day. We should continue on." Mito turned away from the forest, headed back to where the town rested among the hills.

Prince Cáel, however, continued to look at the forest. He hadn't noticed it before, but among the dead trees, a few tiny plants were sprouting in the ashen soil. As he looked up and down the length of the start of the forest, he began to notice it even more. Tiny, green plants were growing out of everything; the soil, the dead trees.

It seemed that life was once again returning to the forest that had met such a terrible fate.

--

Asbel groaned as he was bombarded with question after question, asking him to fix this, talk to the princess about that. Couldn't his people understand that he was worn out from his long journey and didn't exactly want to deal with this right now?

"Asbel, we've been asking the princess throughout this past year and she refuses to listen! Perhaps you can convince her better, as the true leader of our people. For some reason she cannot see why we need a new windmill this very moment!"

Asbel buried his face in his hands and sighed. "Perhaps, mayor, her decision is with good reason. I know of the valley's need for a new windmill, and I'm sure she knows of it too, but there must be a reason why she does not think it is right to build one right now. The princess is a smart young woman and I'm very sure that she is capable of making the right decisions for the vally."

Obviously, that was not what the Council of Pejite wanted to hear.

"Prince Asbel! We have been awaiting your return so you can finally talk to the princess for us and you can only say that? Excuse me, your highness, but your people are asking of you to do something about this windmill problem! We only ask that you will please talk to the princess yourself and try to convince her of our plans!"

Suddenly, an idea hit him. It wasn't the most clever idea, but it would get him away from the nagging Council of Pejite for the rest of the day.

"Alright, mayor. Why don't I go over to the castle at once and try to talk to the princess." The mayor of Pejite immediately plastered a smile across his face, as did the rest of the Council.

"Oh, thank you Prince Asbel! I'm sure that Princess Nausicaä will listen to you and we could even start building that windmill tomorrow!"

Asbel rolled his eyes as he headed out the door of the mayor's home, which often served as a meeting place for the Council. _"That was almost too easy…" _Asbel smiled to himself, glad that the mayor literally handed him a reason to get out of that meeting.

--

Nausicaä walked through the castle garden, watering plants in need of water as a result of the lack of rain the past week. As Nausicaä walked along the garden paths, she felt someone was approaching her from behind. She froze in her spot, only to be comforted by a familiar voice.

"Nausicaä, I was told I'd find you here."

Nausicaä smiled in relief. "Asbel, I thought you were busy all day with the people of Pejite?"

"Actually, the funny thing is, they sent me back here to talk to you!" Asbel laughed to himself a bit, causing a smile to spread across Nausicaä's lips.

"And I'm sure I can guess what they wanted you to talk to me about."

"Yeah, well, I guess I lied a bit. I didn't actually come here to talk to about that windmill problem." Nausicaä could feel herself blushing but had no idea why she was. She mentally kicked herself. "I wanted to talk to you about everything that happened to me and Lord Yupa. But even more, I want to hear about what has happened in the valley since I've been gone… well, other than the windmill issue." Asbel laughed once more.

As Nausicaä watched Asbel make his way over to where she was watering various plants, she couldn't help but notice how his hat flopped in the gentle wind that blew across the castle garden. "Asbel, you're still wearing that silly hat, aren't you?" Asbel stopped when her reached where Nausicaä was and glanced up, as if he was looking at his hat as well.

"Yeah, well, I like it."

Nausicaä sighed playfully. "But I'm sure you look a lot better without it…" Without warning, she snatched Asbel's hat, revealing his mess of uncut brown hair.

"Nausicaä! Give that back!" Asbel quickly tried to fix his hair, embarrassed of the extremity of his hat-hair.

Nausicaä noticed his hair and began to laugh uncontrollably. "Asbel, now I know why you wear your hat all of the time!"

"Come on, Nausicaä, it's not that bad! Who cares anyway if I like wearing my hat all of the time?"

Asbel tried to grab his hat back from Nausicaä but she always seemed to get it out of his reach, despite the fact that he was now several inches taller than her.

"Princess Nausicaä?" Nausicaä and Asbel both quickly turned around. Nausicaä quickly shoved Asbel's hat towards him, accidentally hitting him in the stomach in the process.

"Ow!"

Prince Cáel, for some reason, did not look happy. "What is going on? Is everything alright?"

Nausicaä seemed nervous and Asbel didn't like it. What was the big deal? "Oh, um, everything's just fine. I guess I was just a bit startled. I wasn't expecting you to be back until much later."

Prince Cáel eyed Nausicaä curiously. "Apparently not…"

Nausicaä quickly walked toward Prince Cáel and away from Asbel. "Would you care to escort me to the library? I was actually heading there when I ran into Prince Asbel."

Now Asbel was very confused. Why was she trying to cover up everything? Why was she acting so nervous in front of this prince?

"I would love to princess. Can I first have a word with the Prince of Pejite?"

"Oh, um, of course. I'll meet you at the bottom of the stairwell." Before she left, Nausicaä worriedly looked over to Asbel. However, he didn't seem worried at all. Just confused.

Prince Cáel gracefully made his way over to where Asbel stood, clutching his hat to his stomach. "Prince Asbel, might I remind you that I am the princess's fiancée. It may be hard for you to get used to, but I find it rather bothersome that you seem to be so casual with the princess."

Asbel was startled by what the prince had to say. "I'm sorry, but what are you talking about? The princess and I have always been on these terms. I mean, really, if you think I'm trying to steal her away from you, that's ridiculous!" Asbel had to stop himself after he realized where this conversation was leading. _"Why did I even say that? Of course I'm not trying to do that!"_

"Prince Asbel, I'm not in the least bit worried about losing the princess to the likes of you. She is betrothed, after all." With that, the prince turned on his heels and made his way to the stairs.

Asbel stood there, rather shocked by what had just transpired. _"He thinks I'm trying to steal Nausicaä away from him? That's ridiculous! We're just friends! Besides, I'm well aware of her current status of betrothal…" _However, when he thought about it, why didn't she ever mention her betrothal to him before? He knew they had been busy helping to rebuild the valley, but they had a lot of downtime where they talked. Why hadn't she told him?

Before, he couldn't really comprehend the fact that she was getting married soon. To a stranger, no less. Now, as he stood alone in the castle garden, the gentle breeze flowing through his shaggy brown hair, it began to fully sink in. It didn't matter if he came back to the valley to see her once more. It didn't matter if she was his best friend, the one person he could talk to about anything. None of it mattered because soon everything was going to change. He just couldn't help but get the feeling that Nausicaä was right… there was something about the prince that was rather unsettling. Hopefully he could figure out what that was before it was too late.

Too late for what, though, he wasn't sure.

--

I hope this makes up for the lack of updates lately! I've been busy with schoolwork (college sucks sometimes) and so I didn't have much time to write. I'll try to update more often, though. And don't worry! I'm not going to be giving up on this story, so no worries about that.

-brigette (aka: Kaze-no-Tenshi)


	4. Suspicions

That was a much longer break than I originally intended, sorry guys! Like I said… blame college! It's evil lol

Also, I'm sorry for all of the grammatical errors in the previous chapters! I'll do my best to fix those and future ones as well ^^; But I obviously can't promise ALL of them will be gone.

Disclaimer: I do not own Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. It belongs to the wonderful Hayao Miyazaki and to Studio Ghibli.

--

Whistle Against the Wind

Chapter 4 – Suspicions

Asbel made his way down the stairs that led out of the garden once he was sure Nausicaä and Prince Cáel were a safe distance away. He made his way to his chambers where he sat on his bed with a sigh, still holding his hat tightly to his chest.

Of all the problems he imagined facing when he returned, this one had not even entered into his mind. Nausicaä was about to marry a man no one seemed to know anything about. The only this Asbel was sure of was that Prince Cáel seemed intent on making sure Nausicaä married him. He was almost obsessive about it.

Was there more to this betrothal than everyone thought?

He wasn't sure, but he knew he had to find out. And soon.

--

Nausicaä watched as Prince Cáel made his way through the library. The library was one of Nausicaä's favorite places in the entire castle. She could remember going there with her father when she was younger. He would sit in the tall chair near the fireplace and read her fascinating stories of princesses, heroes, monsters, and magical lands. She slowly made her way towards the chair, subconsciously running her fingers of the chair's intricate designs.

"Princess, is everything alright?" Nausicaä quickly snapped back into the present. Prince Cáel stood about 20 feet away from her next to the bookshelf that stored the many history books.

"Oh, yes, I was just… reminiscing…" Prince Cáel immediately seemed bored. Nausicaä found herself getting nervous again. "So… do you like history?" The prince raised his eyebrows in confusion at this sudden question.

"What?"

"I just noticed you were standing near the history books." Prince Cáel glanced around and noticed what she was talking about.

"Oh… I didn't even realize where I was. No, history, I find, is rather dull." Nausicaä immediately was a little taken aback by the statement.

"Surely you don't mean that… History is what defines the world we live in today! Without it, well, we wouldn't exist!" Prince Cál seemed unmoved by her statement.

"Ah, well, I've just never had a passion for it."

"I see…" Nausicaä looked down at the ground unsure of what else to say. "So what subjects _do_ you like to read about?"

Prince Cáel turned and looked around the library, making sure he stood perfectly straight as he did so, as if he was telling the library who was better. "Actually, I don't like to read."

Okay, that was it. What was _wrong_ with this guy? Of all the people she had to be betrothed to, it had to be a strange one who didn't even like to read. _"Why couldn't they have just betrothed me to someone like Asbel? At least I know _he_ likes to read!"_

Nausicaä immediately blushed bright red when she realized what she had just said. All the while, Prince Cáel was just standing there, staring at the princess, as she seemed to continue more conversation on with her own mind than him.

"Oh, uh, Prince Cáel, why don't we head on down to the dining hall? I believe it is about the time we are to be served dinner." Nausicaä was glad she was able to think of something to get them out of the library. She mentally punished herself for even bringing the prince here in the first place. But then again… how was she supposed to know he didn't like to read?

"Why, that would be wonderful." Prince Cáel made his way over to princess, once again putting on that seemingly flawless charm, and held out his arm for her to take. "Shall we?"

Nausicaä (reluctantly) took hold of his arm, feeling a slightly nauseous turn in her stomach as she did so.

--

Asbel could tell by the setting sun that dinner was probably being served right about now. As much as he wanted to see Nausicaä, he knew he had more important things to do than sit and chat with the princess and her fiancé. _"Perhaps now would be the perfect opportunity to sneak into the prince's room and see if he's hiding anything…" _He knew that if he didn't want to get caught, he'd have to act fast.

Asbel made his way down the hallway only to realize he had no idea where the prince was staying. He flinched as he heard the approaching voices of a man and a woman. Nausicaä and Prince Cáel maybe? No… the voices were getting louder and they definitely belonged to…

"Mito! Zela! How nice to run into you two." Asbel's cheerfulness was no lie. He was indeed cheerful, as his best chance of figuring out where the prince was staying rested with these two.

Zela gave Mito a nervous glance, unsure of why Asbel seemed so glad to see them. Asbel noticed this and quickly continued on.

"I was just on my way to talk with Prince Cáel, but, silly me, I've forgotten where he's staying!" Asbel dramatically slapped himself on the forehead at his "forgetfulness." "Could you perhaps point me in the right direction?"

"Oh, uh…" Zela tried to speak but was cut off by Mito.

"Well, I'm sorry but even if I pointed you in the right direction, you would not find Prince Cáel in his room. He is currently eating dinner with the princess. We could escort you the dining hall to speak with him, if you like." Well that was a snag Asbel forgot to work around.

"Oh, I uh, well… I would like to speak with him in private and if you could just let me know where he is staying, I shall wait for his arrival outside his chambers." _"Good thinking, Asbel."_

Mito looked over at the still nervous Zela. "Well, I guess that would be fine." Mito quickly pointed Asbel in the right direction and Asbel sped off, thanking the two as he made h is way out of sight.

After several flights of stairs, Asbel was on the right floor. He quickly made his way down the hall, only to turn around and run back the way he came. _"Guards! Of course! Stupid me! Of course a crazy prince with a plot to take over the kingdom and kill all who opposed him would have guards to guard his secret!" _Asbel was rather proud of the devious scheme he just gave the prince in his mind. But back to the matter at hand… how was he supposed to get in there now with those guards? He noticed that there weren't many rooms on the floor and, checking the door, walked casually inside the room adjacent to the prince's, as if that was his intention the entire time.

Asbel closed the door to the room, only to be disappointed at the lack of light. The hallways were light with candles but it seemed the only light this storage room got was from the sun coming in from the small window. Unfortunately, for him, the sun had pretty much set. Deterred but not completely at a loss, Asbel began to search along the wall for a possible secret doorway that led to the adjacent one. Of course, Asbel was not surprised when no such doorway existed. He frowned at what that immediately implied: the window.

--

"Well, Nausicaä, that was a wonderful meal." Nausicaä may not have cooked the meal herself, but she was flattered that the prince gave her or her people a compliment, especially after he had acted so strangely earlier. She immediately felt a blush rising and tried her best to fight it off.

"Thank you, Prince Cáel, I am glad you enjoyed your dinner. I'm sorry to say that I am rather tired and would like to retire to my chambers." She immediately noticed that Prince Cáel was immediately thinking about something. "Um… maybe you would like to retire as well? I know you've had an awfully long day with Mito in the valley." She hoped her suggestion would win him over. She was exhausted and babysitting the prince in her castle was the last thing on her list of what she would like to do right now.

"Why, that is a rather good idea, princess. I am tired from my trip today and I would like to be well rested for tomorrow."

Nausicaä was rather confused. "Is there something going on tomorrow?"

Once again, the prince's face harbored an unpleasant smile. "We are to begin planning the wedding! Good night, princess."

Prince Cáel walked away lightly, that victorious smile still on his face. Nausicaä, unfortunately, was completely frozen to her chair.

--

"_Of all the places to put small windows, they have to put them in storage rooms located conveniently next to the chambers of a possibly evil prince from a foreign land bent on destruction!"_ Once Asbel started thinking of crazy ideas about the prince, he just couldn't stop.

Or were they crazy?

Asbel squeezed himself through the storage room window only to notice the ledge outside was barely the width of one of his feet. _"Great…"_ Asbel slowly sidled along the outside wall, hoping that no one could see him in the dark, making his way to the window of Prince Cáel's chambers. Once he reached the window he peeked inside. _"Good! No one's inside."_

He hadn't even started putting one leg through the window when he heard the creaking of the door being opened. Asbel immediately ducked out of sight, a hard thing to do on such a tiny ledge… so high up… _"Don't look down… just… don't look down…"_

"I'm telling you, Grafton, everything is working out _perfectly_. The princess is completely fooled. We'll be wed in no time… which means the sooner I can—"

The prince stopped short, not moving.

"Is the something the matter, my prince?" Grafton asked of Prince Cáel's sudden actions.

Prince Cáel simply put his index finger to his lips, motioning for him to be quiet.

Asbel, still on the ledge, immediately began to sweat profusely. Unfortunately, all the sweat in the world couldn't keep Prince Cáel from finding a nice surprise sitting outside his chamber window.

"Well, well, Grafton. We have a visitor. And it's the princesses _best friend_, of all people!" Every word the prince seemed to utter dripped with sarcasm. Asbel made a move to escape to who-knows-where but the strong guard picked the young prince up with ease and threw him to the chamber floor, right in front of Prince Cáel.

"So, _Prince _Asbel. You decided to pay us a visit without telling us? Now, that is not very good manners, is it?" Without warning, Prince Cáel kicked Asbel square in the stomach, causing him to double over in pain.

"Wha-what are you going to do… to Nausicaä?" Asbel barely managed. Prince Cáel simply smirked at his defeated opponent.

"I wouldn't be worrying about that. No… you'll have more things to worry about sitting in your dungeon cell for long, long time."

"You're… going to lock me up? In Na-Nausicaä's own castle?"

"I'm sure the princess doesn't even know the dungeons exist. Besides, with all the wedding planning and the news of your sudden disappearance into the toxic jungle, I'm sure it won't even cross her precious little mind. Take him."

Before Asbel could realize what was happening, Grafton and another large man took hold of his arms and began dragging him out of Prince Cáel's chambers.

"You… You can't win! Nausicaä will find out and then your whole plan will be—" Grafton silenced Asbel with a punch to the stomach, causing Asbel to almost pass out from the pain.

Prince Cáel smiled as Asbel and the guards disappeared down the nearby stairs. _"Now that that pest is out of the way, things will go a lot smoother…"_

--

Sorry if that was a tad short, but hey! I'm updating!

Until next time,

-brigette (aka: Kaze-no-Tenshi89)


	5. Plans and Deceit

So after a 5-month break… I'm back! School was kind of kicking the crap out of me so I had virtually no time to write… and I'm really sorry about that! However, it's summer now!! Yay! And here's your next chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. It belongs to the wonderful Hayao Miyazaki and to Studio Ghibli.

--

Whistle Against the Wind

Chapter 5 - Plans and Deceit

He didn't need all the light in the world to know that he was deep in the castle. It was damp and cold and Asbel knew he was completely alone down there. He guessed from the state of his dungeon chamber that these hadn't been used for many, many years. Maybe even a hundred years. Cobwebs littered the ceilings, rats scurried in and out of the tiny light set off by the lone candle on the wall. The bars were rusty, but not rusty enough to break free from.

From where he was, he had no idea where even the stairs out of this place would be, so he couldn't even hopelessly stare in that direction, waiting for someone to come rescue him.

It was only him, his thoughts, and the rats in his cold, damp hell.

--

Nausicaä sat in front of her mirror, slowly combing her long auburn hair. It was early, as the sun had just risen, but she found that lately she couldn't sleep well. Getting up early and finding things around the castle to busy herself with seemed like the only remedy these days. She certainly didn't want to go talk with Prince Cáel; he had proven himself to not be the conversationalist she thought he was. As for Asbel, she'd love nothing more than to go talk to him right now. However, she was certain that Prince Cáel would be angry if he found out she spoke with Asbel. _"Where is Asbel, anyway? I haven't seen him since Prince Cáel spoke with him in the garden…"_

Praying that the prince had nothing to do with why Asbel had been unseen lately, Nausicaä returned to getting ready. She was to meet the prince soon in the dining hall to start going over the wedding arrangements.

Of all the things she had to do in her life, even compared to saving her entire valley from the raging ohmu, this was the most difficult. Marrying a man she had no desire to was one of the toughest things she felt she could ever go through. The thing was, she knew she had to do it. It would be selfish not to go through with it. A betrothal is promise, a promise one should not break for the sake of one's people.

Nausicaä took one last look in the mirror at herself before heading down to the dining hall. Her hair was pulled back slightly, revealing her face better. It was her eyes, though, that were the problem. The ones that were once so full of life were beginning to fade from a rich brown to a dull gray.

"_Perhaps this is what happens to all who rule? To all who must put aside their own wishes and instead follow the needs of their people?"_

Perhaps… but she could honestly not recall one day where she saw such lifelessness in the eyes of her father… even as he lay on his deathbed.

--

The dining hall was filled with more people than Nausicaä had been expecting. The long table was filled with cooks, seamstresses, florists, and many others from the valley. A wedding, of course, is a very complex thing.

"Ah, good morning princess." Prince Cáel stood up from the table to greet Nausicaä as she entered the room. He had his usual smile on his face and his arrogant charm seemed to be turned up another notch to impress the valley people even more. Nausicaä kept her distasteful thoughts to herself and smiled at the prince and everyone else.

"Good morning everyone! I'm so glad all of you could make it! We are so excited to start planning our wedding." Nausicaä gave Prince Cáel the best smile she possibly could as she took her seat next to him at the end of the table. _"And to think I'm going to have to _sleep _with this guy after we're married… and I'll be expected to have children!_" Oh, the unpleasant thoughts just didn't seem to ever stop in her mind lately. But she kept her façade well; no one would even suspect such thoughts were constantly going on her head.

"Now, Nausicaä, I thought we should first pick a location. I was thinking… oh, down by the sea! It's so lovely down there, especially this time of the year." Nausicaä was only half-listening, but she had to admit that she agreed. A wedding down there would truly be wonderful… _"Just not to this guy…"_

"Oh, well I agree!" Nausicaä truthfully replied. "I think that it's a wonderful idea to have the wedding down there." Prince Cáel's smile grew even more.

"Fantastic! Now, as for the decorations…"

This was going to be a long day…

--

After several hours of deciding which flowers would be best for the ceremony and what side dishes to have at the banquet, Nausicaä was finally relieved to be done with that for the day. Prince Cáel, too, seemed to be a little tired of the planning.

"Prince Cáel, do you by chance happen to know where Asbel is? I haven't seen him since you spoke with him in the garden the other day… What were you talking to him about, anyway?"

Prince Cáel may have froze for a second or two, but Nausicaä didn't notice. "Oh, the Prince of Pejite?" he asked rather casually, not even bothering to look into the princess's eyes. "One of my men, Grafton, wanted to see more of the valley. I asked him if he would be kind enough to show my friend around."

Nausicaä clearly had not expected that. "O-Oh! I… had no idea. I'm sorry for troubling you." She quickly got up to leave the table, only to have wrist grabbed by the prince.

"It's not a problem, princess. I would feel the same way if you wanted to talk to my best friend in private." He gave her a smile and she felt herself instantly believing whatever he had to say.

"Thank you…" For some reason she could not explain, Nausicaä felt herself liking this man again… She knew it was probably wrong, but he had this strange power over her…

The loud bang of the hall door bursting open shook Nausicaä from her dazed state. A large man was rushing towards them with what looked like very important news.

"Grafton?" Prince Cáel immediately stood up from the table in concern. "Is everything alright? I thought Asbel was showing you around the valley today?"

"Y-Your highness! I have some very troubling news!" Grafton said between gasps for air. Nausicaä was immediately on her feet, her hands already beginning to shake. "Prince Asbel was showing me around when somehow we had wandered up to the edge of the Toxic Jungle. I knew it was dangerous but he felt confident that nothing would happen. The all of a sudden…"

Grafton stopped speaking for a few moments, making Nausicaä even more nervous.

"All of a sudden… a giant bug leapt out of the jungle and grabbed the prince and dragged him into the jungle." Nausicaä's eyes grew wide as her hands began to sweat profusely. "He… He had dropped his mask in the struggle… and by the time I found him…"

Nausicaä did not want to hear the next few words, but knew they were coming…

"…he was already gone."

Nausicaä had turned to complete stone. It seemed that the only animate part of her were the tears that began to trickle slowly down her cheeks.

--

I'm sorry for the short chapter! But it's summer so you'll be getting updates more often =]

Please read & review! I appreciate it!

Until nex time,

-brigette (aka: Kaze-no-Tenshi89)


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